How to be Genius like Nikola Tesla

Updated12 February 2017reading time

Introduction

We can see that Nikola Tesla, Einstein, Picasso, Edison, and many others have a lot in common. One of them would be that they have got their stuff together, focusing on what they want to be best known for. They have 1 great identity for 1 self. And I guess that’s all it takes to make a great improvement in life. Nikola Tesla discovered electricity along with Thomas Edison. We all need that 1 thing from these guys now.

Form a good sleeping habit

When Tesla noticed that he could better harness his inner creativity as an inventor and creative thinker, he went into a polyphasic sleep cycle as a routine. He was known for being quite an outcast whilst doing this. Therefore it is not recommended in the modern age to do so, as we have to be more sociable in an age where Technology and Time are of the essence. Yes, you will get to work on your craft as much as you wish, but this is at the cost of what makes us human — society.

However, Tesla has given us great insight into optimising our schedule to have a set time to relax, sleep, play, and work. And we can work around different perspectives to harness more creativity in our lives. This would include knowing what your subconscious mind is saying to you.

Understanding the Subconscious mind

We’re striving to return to our long-lost childhood mental state, living half in a daydream, with no internal verbal chatter or “grownup” logical thinking barriers blocking off the creative flow. — William Beaty, from his post on Quora

The mind and brain are both separate entities. The thing is that the mind is ‘self-aware’, whilst the brain is just another organ.

Sigmund Freud mentioned that the unconscious (aka subconscious) mind and the conscious mind are like an iceberg in that the subconscious mind is way deeper than the conscious mind. So of course, why not at least harness some power from it? Please note that I am careful not to get into new-age ideas without actual proof from the pudding! These are ideas taken from other high performance people, and of course can be practiced by everyone else.

Tesla listened to his Subconscious mind as much as he could, in ways that are whispers of the subconscious to him. He recorded his dreams, and extracted the meanings out of them. He worked through a difficult problem right before bedtime (or nap time, in his case). And to wake up with the problem solving continued but this time at a better and more focused pace.

One of the most productive ways to tap into the subconscious is to get used to the fact that you read faster than your inner voice does, so that you can tap into what’s called ‘conceptual thinking’.

Think in concepts, not words

When Tesla, Edison, Archimedes, and many famous other inventors and creative minds got that all-famed ‘Lightbulb moment’, they all tapped into the idea of the subconscious and what it can do for you. These ‘Eureka moments’ happen at the least expected time, so they should not be awaited for. Instead, work on your problems as you would, and pay attention to your subconscious mind’s whispers. You could call the whispers what spiritual beings are saying to you. In fact, that may seem to make it more powerful if you wish.

These great minds understood that ideas are concepts, and never words alone. Because words are only the interpretation of concepts. A baby obviously had the concept of a tree, but didn’t know what to call it. So a concept comes first, and a word seems to be a label to the concept, as it may come in different languages.

Critical thinking may help with conceptualising thinking. If you read quick and retain information properly, then you have achieved the most part of conceptualised thinking!

Final thoughts

Again, you don’t have to be a genius or high performer to have a great life of grasping life to the fullest as you can be as well. Anyone is capable of creating the best version of themselves. The question I can leave you with is: ‘What is the 1 great thing that you will be known for?’